Catgyrl68

Hey everyone!
I simply cannot believe how time flies. It seems like yesterday I was still contemplating surgery and going to my first informational meeting. At that time, my biggest goal was to fit back into my size 14 Old Navy jeans I've had for 10 years. Well, I've quite surpassed that. I now wear a size 12 jeans (size 10 in dress pants), and can go as far down as a Medium in blouses. I can't express how wonderful it is to be able to walk into a store and go into the "regular" section. My biggest problem now is that size 10's and 12's are apparently very popular, because I have a hard time finding THOSE now.
Here's a pic of me the night before surgery (sorry it's so dark), and me last week. Someone asked me "Where did your booty go?" I told him it's still there, but considerably smaller.

As frustrating as you may feel at times... this process really does work!

Hey everyone!
I simply cannot believe how time flies. It seems like yesterday I was still contemplating surgery and going to my first informational meeting. At that time, my biggest goal was to fit back into my size 14 Old Navy jeans I've had for 10 years. Well, I've quite surpassed that. I now wear a size 12 jeans (size 10 in dress pants), and can go as far down as a Medium in blouses. I can't express how wonderful it is to be able to walk into a store and go into the "regular" section. My biggest problem now is that size 10's and 12's are apparently very popular, because I have a hard time finding THOSE now.
Here's a pic of me the night before surgery (sorry it's so dark), and me last week. Someone asked me "Where did your booty go?" I told him it's still there, but considerably smaller.

As frustrating as you may feel at times... this process really does work!

Hey everyone!
I simply cannot believe how time flies. It seems like yesterday I was still contemplating surgery and going to my first informational meeting. At that time, my biggest goal was to fit back into my size 14 Old Navy jeans I've had for 10 years. Well, I've quite surpassed that. I now wear a size 12 jeans (size 10 in dress pants), and can go as far down as a Medium in blouses. I can't express how wonderful it is to be able to walk into a store and go into the "regular" section. My biggest problem now is that size 10's and 12's are apparently very popular, because I have a hard time finding THOSE now.
Here's a pic of me the night before surgery (sorry it's so dark), and me last week. Someone asked me "Where did your booty go?" I told him it's still there, but considerably smaller.

As frustrating as you may feel at times... this process really does work!

Hey everyone!
I simply cannot believe how time flies. It seems like yesterday I was still contemplating surgery and going to my first informational meeting. At that time, my biggest goal was to fit back into my size 14 Old Navy jeans I've had for 10 years. Well, I've quite surpassed that. I now wear a size 12 jeans (size 10 in dress pants), and can go as far down as a Medium in blouses. I can't express how wonderful it is to be able to walk into a store and go into the "regular" section. My biggest problem now is that size 10's and 12's are apparently very popular, because I have a hard time finding THOSE now.
Here's a pic of me the night before surgery (sorry it's so dark), and me last week. Someone asked me "Where did your booty go?" I told him it's still there, but considerably smaller.

As frustrating as you may feel at times... this process really does work!

Thank you so much! I wasn't so enamored with the cut the first day, but once I came home and was able to style it MY way, I now love it.

Hi all!
Haven't posted here in a while due to numerous family issues going on. I thank God every day that I had this procedure done when I did, because I'd probably never get around to doing it now. Being a part-time care-giver to both parents is exhausting and time-consuming, but I know they'd do it for me if they could.
I was 240 lbs. at my initial consult in November 2012; 233 lbs. pre-surgery in January (approximate size 18-20/XXL), and am now down to 170 (size 12/L). I'm about 10-15 pounds away from my goal weight, although to be honest... if my doctor told me that something went horribly wrong with my surgery, and this is all I would be able to lose, I'd be perfectly happy. This was truly a life-changing experience for me. I'd let myself go for so long, and it's nice to actually CARE about what I look like again. I'm even seriously considering an arm lift towards the end of the year (and I said I'd NEVER have another elective surgery for the rest of my life!). Already researching plastic surgeons and planning my 3 weeks off from work.
Like many of you, I've also experienced the dreaded hair fallout, and so this past weekend, I sucked it up and chopped my hair off into an oh-so-cute bob and I LOVE IT! It looks so much healthier now.
There have been a few tiny bumps in the road along the way, but nothing to ever make me say "Why the hell did I do this?" For the newbies just starting out - it's well worth it!

Hi all!
Haven't posted here in a while due to numerous family issues going on. I thank God every day that I had this procedure done when I did, because I'd probably never get around to doing it now. Being a part-time care-giver to both parents is exhausting and time-consuming, but I know they'd do it for me if they could.
I was 240 lbs. at my initial consult in November 2012; 233 lbs. pre-surgery in January (approximate size 18-20/XXL), and am now down to 170 (size 12/L). I'm about 10-15 pounds away from my goal weight, although to be honest... if my doctor told me that something went horribly wrong with my surgery, and this is all I would be able to lose, I'd be perfectly happy. This was truly a life-changing experience for me. I'd let myself go for so long, and it's nice to actually CARE about what I look like again. I'm even seriously considering an arm lift towards the end of the year (and I said I'd NEVER have another elective surgery for the rest of my life!). Already researching plastic surgeons and planning my 3 weeks off from work.
Like many of you, I've also experienced the dreaded hair fallout, and so this past weekend, I sucked it up and chopped my hair off into an oh-so-cute bob and I LOVE IT! It looks so much healthier now.
There have been a few tiny bumps in the road along the way, but nothing to ever make me say "Why the hell did I do this?" For the newbies just starting out - it's well worth it!

Hi all!
Haven't posted here in a while due to numerous family issues going on. I thank God every day that I had this procedure done when I did, because I'd probably never get around to doing it now. Being a part-time care-giver to both parents is exhausting and time-consuming, but I know they'd do it for me if they could.
I was 240 lbs. at my initial consult in November 2012; 233 lbs. pre-surgery in January (approximate size 18-20/XXL), and am now down to 170 (size 12/L). I'm about 10-15 pounds away from my goal weight, although to be honest... if my doctor told me that something went horribly wrong with my surgery, and this is all I would be able to lose, I'd be perfectly happy. This was truly a life-changing experience for me. I'd let myself go for so long, and it's nice to actually CARE about what I look like again. I'm even seriously considering an arm lift towards the end of the year (and I said I'd NEVER have another elective surgery for the rest of my life!). Already researching plastic surgeons and planning my 3 weeks off from work.
Like many of you, I've also experienced the dreaded hair fallout, and so this past weekend, I sucked it up and chopped my hair off into an oh-so-cute bob and I LOVE IT! It looks so much healthier now.
There have been a few tiny bumps in the road along the way, but nothing to ever make me say "Why the hell did I do this?" For the newbies just starting out - it's well worth it!

Lemme tell ya - I admit that I am a bit vain when it comes to my appearance. So much so that when my surgeon told me "No makeup... at all", I said, "Yeah, right." I wore the least amount I could get away with because I knew I wouldn't be up to putting any on afterward. Brought t-shirts, shorts (so I didn't flash anyone whilst walking the hallway), all that stuff. Never used one damn thing! I even forgot to bring my hairbrush, so I didn't comb or brush my hair for 2 days; used another hospital gown to cover up my backside, and didn't really even feel like getting up to brush my teeth (and for someone who just got out of 2 years of braces, that was a hard thing to do!). All I wanted to do was sleep, drink Water, and fart (not necessarily in that order - LOL!) I wore home exactly what I wore to the hospital - huge, baggy t-shirt (no bra) and sweatpants (and baseball cap to hide the rat's nest hair).
I'm excited for you!! Everything will go smoothly, and you can join us all on the Loser's Bench!

Soo stoked!! I just wandered into the Overweight neighborhood today - 29.7 BMI, 49 pounds down from 1/18 surgery. It's so nice to see collarbones, cheekbones... hell, ANY bones, for that matter! By the time I reach goal, I may actually get to fit into my goal size of 12 after all. (I won't even fathom a size 10 - I think I completely skipped that size growing up!)

Soo stoked!! I just wandered into the Overweight neighborhood today - 29.7 BMI, 49 pounds down from 1/18 surgery. It's so nice to see collarbones, cheekbones... hell, ANY bones, for that matter! By the time I reach goal, I may actually get to fit into my goal size of 12 after all. (I won't even fathom a size 10 - I think I completely skipped that size growing up!)

My "sister-from-another-mister", Lisa, suggested I post my 10-week progress pics, too. We had our surgeries on the same day, and are just over 10 weeks out. Please forgive the awful full-body pics to come. They were never meant to be for anyone else's eyes, but when I did this collage, I was astounded by the change.
Pre-surgery weight on 1/18/13: 233
Current weight: 191

My "sister-from-another-mister", Lisa, suggested I post my 10-week progress pics, too. We had our surgeries on the same day, and are just over 10 weeks out. Please forgive the awful full-body pics to come. They were never meant to be for anyone else's eyes, but when I did this collage, I was astounded by the change.
Pre-surgery weight on 1/18/13: 233
Current weight: 191

My "sister-from-another-mister", Lisa, suggested I post my 10-week progress pics, too. We had our surgeries on the same day, and are just over 10 weeks out. Please forgive the awful full-body pics to come. They were never meant to be for anyone else's eyes, but when I did this collage, I was astounded by the change.
Pre-surgery weight on 1/18/13: 233
Current weight: 191

Nairali-
I'm 5'6". I tend to carry my weight everywhere (fortunately?), but mostly in my lower half. I'm destined to remain pear-shaped, which I don't mind so much. Thanks for your kind words!

My "sister-from-another-mister", Lisa, suggested I post my 10-week progress pics, too. We had our surgeries on the same day, and are just over 10 weeks out. Please forgive the awful full-body pics to come. They were never meant to be for anyone else's eyes, but when I did this collage, I was astounded by the change.
Pre-surgery weight on 1/18/13: 233
Current weight: 191

My "sister-from-another-mister", Lisa, suggested I post my 10-week progress pics, too. We had our surgeries on the same day, and are just over 10 weeks out. Please forgive the awful full-body pics to come. They were never meant to be for anyone else's eyes, but when I did this collage, I was astounded by the change.
Pre-surgery weight on 1/18/13: 233
Current weight: 191

My "sister-from-another-mister", Lisa, suggested I post my 10-week progress pics, too. We had our surgeries on the same day, and are just over 10 weeks out. Please forgive the awful full-body pics to come. They were never meant to be for anyone else's eyes, but when I did this collage, I was astounded by the change.
Pre-surgery weight on 1/18/13: 233
Current weight: 191

My "sister-from-another-mister", Lisa, suggested I post my 10-week progress pics, too. We had our surgeries on the same day, and are just over 10 weeks out. Please forgive the awful full-body pics to come. They were never meant to be for anyone else's eyes, but when I did this collage, I was astounded by the change.
Pre-surgery weight on 1/18/13: 233
Current weight: 191

This Friday will make 7 weeks post-surgery, and this morning I finally entered Onederland! 199.3, to be exact. (Hence, the "just barely" in the title). I'm down 34 pounds; almost halfway to my goal weight. Still having a bit of trouble with the Protein (I either hate the taste, or can't get it down), but I'm not giving up. i ate about 5 bites of steak the other night, and it stayed down just fine, but I was so FULL!! A few papaya enzyme chewable tablets helped it go down a lot easier.
Despite the eating difficulties... BEST DECISION I'VE EVER MADE!!

This Friday will make 7 weeks post-surgery, and this morning I finally entered Onederland! 199.3, to be exact. (Hence, the "just barely" in the title). I'm down 34 pounds; almost halfway to my goal weight. Still having a bit of trouble with the Protein (I either hate the taste, or can't get it down), but I'm not giving up. i ate about 5 bites of steak the other night, and it stayed down just fine, but I was so FULL!! A few papaya enzyme chewable tablets helped it go down a lot easier.
Despite the eating difficulties... BEST DECISION I'VE EVER MADE!!

Thank you, Heather! I, too, thought some of these responses were a bit harsh (especially while using all caps and exclamation points). I went to my 2nd post-op meeting 3 weeks after surgery, having only lost 3 pounds since my last visit 2 weeks prior. I was fine with it, because I know that many times big losses are followed by small ones (Hey, I watch "The Biggest Loser", so I know about the "Week 2 issue"). My doc was not so happy, however. Told me that it was less than he had hoped, and that he has patients who have lost 5 pounds per week. My response to him: "Really? Good for them!" That's the kind of stuff I don't like - being compared to other patients. He has no idea that many of those patients may, conceivably, have not been eating anything at all. I know someone who had tons of problems keeping food down and is now down 70 lbs. in 3 months simply because she could not eat. And here I am busting my butt to try to get all the Protein and liquids in. So, I'm proud of those 3 pounds that are no longer on my body! :-)
I was only 225 on the day of surgery, so I know I'm on the lower end of the weight loss spectrum for this surgery, so I know that my loss numbers may be smaller than most in the beginning. In the end, it will all even out.
For those who get annoyed at the "stall" questions, maybe you just shouldn't respond to them, if they're going to annoy you so much. All of us need all the support we can get around here.

Thank you, Heather! I, too, thought some of these responses were a bit harsh (especially while using all caps and exclamation points). I went to my 2nd post-op meeting 3 weeks after surgery, having only lost 3 pounds since my last visit 2 weeks prior. I was fine with it, because I know that many times big losses are followed by small ones (Hey, I watch "The Biggest Loser", so I know about the "Week 2 issue"). My doc was not so happy, however. Told me that it was less than he had hoped, and that he has patients who have lost 5 pounds per week. My response to him: "Really? Good for them!" That's the kind of stuff I don't like - being compared to other patients. He has no idea that many of those patients may, conceivably, have not been eating anything at all. I know someone who had tons of problems keeping food down and is now down 70 lbs. in 3 months simply because she could not eat. And here I am busting my butt to try to get all the Protein and liquids in. So, I'm proud of those 3 pounds that are no longer on my body! :-)
I was only 225 on the day of surgery, so I know I'm on the lower end of the weight loss spectrum for this surgery, so I know that my loss numbers may be smaller than most in the beginning. In the end, it will all even out.
For those who get annoyed at the "stall" questions, maybe you just shouldn't respond to them, if they're going to annoy you so much. All of us need all the support we can get around here.

My twin!! My sister from another mister!
You and I have lost exactly the same amount of weight - 29 pounds. I just had my doctor appointment yesterday, and he said I'm doing very well. I really busted my hump for the past 2 weeks and ended up losing 10 pounds. I asked him if he expected me to lose 5 pounds a week from now on, and he said,"No, you probably won't." I said, "GOOD!" He said his expectations are 2-4 pounds per week, which I am perfectly fine with. He also mentioned one of his patients that lost 50 pounds the first MONTH... then 1 pound the following month! However, he was 400+ pounds to begin with, and also got cocky thinking he could eat bad things.
Hang in there - you're doing just great! If you think about it, the slower we lose, the less "gaunt" and saggy we will look.

Basically, my doc told me to just have a shake for Breakfast, eat my lunch and dinner meals, and only snack if I felt I really needed to. He thinks that in my Quest to get all my liquids and Protein in (2 shakes per day, plus food), I was probably taking in more calories than I thought. That's pretty much what I've done since that visit, and it seems to be working. I know that I'm not getting in all the Protein, but I'm not going to stress about it. I'm doing the best that I (and my pouch) can.
And don't worry - no more shopping for a while. The pants I replaced had to go for reasons other than hanging off me. :-)